Three and a Half Days(Revelation 11.9)Page 167

"For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial." (Revelation 11.9)✞

Persecution of Jews

In the book of Revelation, the number "three and a half" has symbolic meaning. It is not three half days but three full days and a half day, and is sometimes written as forty-two calendar months or one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Forty-two months was the duration of the vicious persecution of the Jews by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (BC 215-164), an especially harsh time for God's people. Antiochus was a Greek king who ruthlessly persecuted the Jews of Judea and Samaria and the rebellion of the Jewish Maccabees. He was called by his contemporaries "Epimanes" or "The Mad One."✞

Witnesses Refused Burial

As half of the perfect number "seven","three and a half" indicates incompleteness or imperfection. This number shows that there is something substantial about to happen at the end of this time period. But that is not the end. "After three and a half days" the breath of life entered again into the two slain witnesses and they stood upon their feet. In sight of all, the two witnesses were summoned up into Heaven, re-enacting Elijah's first departure to Heaven in 2 Kings 2.11 in the whirlwind and the chariot of fire "As they (Elijah and Elisha) were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind."✞